cast a peach

Chapter 29 Tan Jingshan

As soon as Tan Mingli entered the ward, the old man lying on the bed opened his eyes when he heard the sound, and while trying to sit up, he called her name gently:

"Mingli, you're here."

"Slow down," Tan Mingli hurried forward, supported him firmly, rolled up the hospital bed, helped him get up and sit up, and then held his grandfather's hand and picked a chair beside him and sat down , "Are you feeling okay? Is there any other discomfort? I came in a hurry and didn't have time to bring you something. I—"

Grandpa shook his hand to stop her words, and with a kind smile on his face, he said, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. It's fine if you come. I don't have anything?"

Tan Mingli was silent, not knowing how to answer the question for a moment, but nodded lightly, and replied, "It's good that you are fine. You should pay more attention to cardiovascular disease and don't get angry."

"Hey, I really don't want to be angry, but unfortunately I am not angry, I will come to my door when I am angry--" Tan Jingshan waved his hand, smiled and nodded his head with his index finger, "The world is not forgiving."

With a smile in the corner of his eyes, he let out a long sigh and joked: "From this point of view, although I am old and it is time to calm down, I still can't cultivate myself."

Tan Mingli knew that what he was talking about was Ming Zhao's drunk driving incident, so he didn't speak, just remained silent.

When Tan Mingli couldn't respond, Tan Jingshan was not annoyed, he just patted the back of her hand with a smile: "Mingli, sit closer, grandpa will take a look at you."

Tan Mingli responded, lifted her chair and moved closer.

"Mingli, you've lost weight."

Tan Jingshan looked at her carefully, and there was a little elder's special pity in his old eyes. He asked softly and in a low voice:

"-Haven't you let go yet?"

It was about her divorce this spring.

Grandpa didn't say it clearly, but just nodded lightly, leaving her with a bit of decency that they knew each other well.

Many people were surprised that she chose to get married back then, and many people must have thought that she had a deep affection for Shen Qingzhou.I just don't know what grandpa thinks.

But in fact, she hadn't thought of him for a long time.The days with Xiao Shui recently were too warm and peaceful, and every day was very pleasant. If Shen Qingzhou hadn't repeatedly sent text messages to show his existence, she would have almost forgotten about her ex-husband.

Tan Mingli shook her head with a smile, and said, "I didn't take it to heart, why are you talking about letting go?"

"is it?"

Tan Jingshan also laughed heartily when he heard the words, and said repeatedly, "Oh, that's good, that's good."

He looked a little emotional: "You don't know, Mingli. Among the children of your generation, the one I worry about the most is not the bastard Mingzhao, nor the second girl Mingqing, but you."

"You are thoughtful and have a good temper. You keep everything in your heart, and you don't want to tell grandpa when you are wronged. In fact, grandpa knows everything."

Tan Jingshan looked softly at his favorite granddaughter, "But there are some things, although I know you don't want to, but I still have to ask you over and over again. ——Mingli, don't be annoying to grandpa, huh?"

"How can I bother you."

Tan Mingli sighed slightly in her heart, she already knew what grandpa was going to say next, but she had to listen, so she could only listen silently and obediently.

"In your opinion, how is our Tan family doing now?"

Tan Jingshan asked her with a smile.

The Tan family started from reselling medicines in the last century. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, they moved to Singapore to continue doing business in order to escape the reform. Under the management of Tan Jingshan, they continued to grow and covered a wide range. At the beginning of the 80s, Tan Jingshan was even more keen-sighted. He seized the spring breeze of reform and opening up, tried his best to reduce the number of staff, moved his family from Singapore and returned to China. , the heyday is more than several times better than before.

Tan Mingli said in a low voice, "It's a towering tree with luxuriant branches and leaves."

"No, no." Tan Jingshan clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Mingli, you won't tell the truth even with grandpa?"

He is over eighty this year, with snow-white hair and the traces of time on his face, but his eyes are still as bright as a mirror, not at all like an octogenarian. When he looks at people, he is sharp and straight, as if he can cut open the soul.

"If you don't want to say it, grandpa will tell it for you." Tan Jingshan restrained his smile, and said slowly and seriously: "Today's Tan family looks like white jade is the king's horse, but it is very beautiful. In fact, it is just like the red building. Jia Mansion..."

He paused, and said in a deep voice, "—the building is about to collapse."

indeed so.

Tan Mingli lowered her eyes and stopped talking.

Although she got married immediately after graduating from university, she has been working full-time at home since then, and has not worked in the Tan family, but Tan Jingshan will call her over every year when the family gathers during the Chinese New Year, asking her to carefully review the accounting and development plans for the whole year last year. , and explain to her one by one the personnel deployment, who advances and who retreats, so she is actually very familiar with the company's situation.

Tan Mingli has been paying attention to economic development and national policies in private. She herself is very smart, and her grandfather personally mentioned some trends that can only be understood, even more easily than the second uncle who is now the talker of the Tan family.

Tan's Group has grown since it took root in Jiangcheng for nearly 40 years, and it has become a colossus so far.

The other side of the huge body is bloated.

The current talker of the Tan family is the second uncle.Although he is shrewd, he cares too much about small gains, lacks sensitivity and foresight, he just blindly seeks profit and cares about every detail, and thinks he is good at dancing, but in fact he is obsessed with power and doesn't know it.In recent years, there have been many factions in the Tan family, and they have frequently fought in the arena. It cannot but be said that a large part of it is due to Uncle Tan's actions.

If the Tan family is compared to a giant whale, then this giant whale has long since unknowingly been covered with barnacles and poisonous gangrene.

Moreover, in recent years, economic growth has slowed down, national policies have been tightened, and business has gradually become difficult.Although the Tan family looks good on the surface, and outsiders talk about it as Jiangcheng's leading wealthy businessman, but in fact, the prosperity is full of dangers.

His expression softened again, and he continued:

"When I was young, I liked reading The Red Chamber the most. My mother thought that I loved to read Sister Lin, Sister Bao, Yingying, Yanyan, Love, Love, and Love, and felt that I was worthless. Look at Bao Dai! I'm watching the ups and downs of those families."

"The thirteen beauties of Jinling, my favorite is not Daiyu or Baochai, but Tanchun."

Tan Jingshan smiled and shook his head, looking at the wrinkles on the back of his hands, he was filled with emotion, "When I read Red Chamber, I often thought that if Tanchun was a man, maybe the Jia family would not have collapsed."

"Tanchun is resourceful, ambitious, and able to take on tasks. Isn't she better than those Jia boys who can't support the wall? It's a pity that in feudal times, sons were favored over girls, and she can't be the heir of the Jia family."

Speaking of this, Tan Jingshan paused, smiled and turned his eyes to Tan Mingli, "But isn't the era different now? Ah? It's a new era. If Tanchun can be born today, where is his precious jade?" Who is she? She will definitely be able to take on this important task, turn the tide, and revitalize the Jia family. Don’t you think so, Mingli?”

She dared not look directly at Grandpa's expectant expression.

There was sore pain in Tan Mingli's heart, and she had to patiently move her eyes away, her expression was still soft and peaceful, only her long eyelashes trembled slightly, which vaguely showed her inner unrest at the moment: "Mingli grew up in a foreign country since she was a child. I don't read much... I don't understand "Dream of Red Mansions."

Grandpa was tactful in his proposal, and she was also tactful in her refusal.

one more time.

Tan Jingshan stared deeply at Tan Mingli, at his most beloved and proudest grandson, as if he wanted to take a good look at her, and discern the truth from what she said just now from her expression, and he didn't speak again for a long time. say.

For a while, there was silence in the ward, only the slight sound of the clock clanging could be heard.The grandparents and grandchildren, who were nearly a year apart in age, faced each other silently.

Tan Jingshan suddenly sighed long, with a kind smile on his face again, but his expression was a lot more tired than before, as if he was ten years older in an instant.

He said softly: "You still don't want to... However, grandpa doesn't want to force you either. You should think about it again, huh?"

"Think carefully, think carefully, Mingli." Tan Jingshan said softly.

After leaving the ward, Tan Mingli was in a trance, almost feeling as if she had passed away.

She collected her expression, and walked out dozens of steps calmly, until she entered the bathroom and locked the door, then she slowly let out a breath, lowered her neck tiredly, pressed the center of her eyebrows, and felt pain in her temples.

Every time she talks to grandpa, she is always so tired.

Grandpa raised her for half her life, wise and keen, and good at showing weakness and attacking her heart. Even she could barely hold on, and almost lost in the confrontation just now.

She pressed her forehead, raised her eyes to look at herself in the mirror, and just sighed softly.

Even today, she actually did not win.It's just that grandpa didn't want to force her, so he gave in, that's all.

She pretended not to understand, but how long could she pretend?How far can grandpa's patience and concession go?Everyone has a bottom line, she understands.Grandpa cared that she had just divorced, so he was considerate of her and didn't say harsh words, but he wouldn't really let her go on like this.

Think about it, think about it carefully - when you think about it, it's time to go back.

Grandpa’s admonition before he left was an hourglass in quicksand, and the sword of Damocles that was falling slowly, hanging patiently over her head, indicating that there was only one result that could be left to her in the end.The difference is just the length of time.

Grandpa said he didn't want to force her, but between the lines, his demeanor, every sigh, every word, he was clearly forcing her.

Tan Mingli closed his eyes weakly.The pale ceiling light in the bathroom was switched on, illuminating her eyes brightly.

——But in the past 30 years of her life, since she returned to China, she has been thinking about every step of the way, wandering around, thinking about how to get out all the time, isn't she thinking enough?

She really doesn't want to be involved in the disputes of the Tan family anymore.

Is the surname Tan her curse?Could it be that throughout her life, no matter how hard she tried, even self-destruction and self-defilement could not get rid of these explicit hints and undercurrents?